The report recommends the closure of the Red River Army Depot and Lone Star Ammunition Plant, located near Texarkana, Texas, and that employs hundreds of Southwest Arkansas residents. In fact, according to the Department of the Army, the Red River Depot employs 2,500 directly and 1,676 indirectly, and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant employs 149 directly and 80 indirectly for a grand total of 4,405 jobs. 

"We’ve worked extremely hard over the years to strengthen Red River and Lone Star and we’re certainly not going to accept these recommendations without a fight," Lincoln said. "We’re currently in the middle of a war, and it makes no sense to close these two facilities which are providing vital services to aid our men and women in uniform who are stationed abroad. These two facilities support thousands of jobs in Southwest Arkansas and Northeast Texas and are critical to the economic well being of the region. Not to mention that they are strategically located in the center of the country, allowing them to serve a number of bases in a cost effective and timely manner. As the BRAC process moves forward, I look forward to making sure this message is heard loud and clear."  

“I am disappointed that Secretary Rumsfeld has not seen the obvious value and potential of the Red River and Lone Star Army Depot,” said Pryor. “They provide support and maintenance for some of our most critical weapons systems and vehicles including the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Multiple Launch Rocket System, both of which have been key to our efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq.  

“I have talked to BRAC Commission Chairman Anthony Principi and he has agreed to meet with the delegation next week. This is the beginning of a process – the BRAC Commission has until October to revise this list and the President will not certify it until November. In the next few months I will continue to work with my fellow delegation members as we scrutinize the DOD’s recommendation and work to make sure the BRAC Commission understands all that Red River and Lone Star have to offer.”  

“The Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant are both vital military facilities,” said Ross. “The Red River Depot is one of the premier sites in the world for making protective armor for Humvees. I would have hoped that during a time of war, the Department of Defense would have erred on the side of keeping military facilities that provide important functions critical to carrying out our mission in Iraq and that provide important protections for our brave men and women in uniform open.  

“Fortunately, the Defense Department’s recommendations for base closures are just what they are – recommendations. This is the first step in a long and lengthy base realignment process, and I will be working closely with Arkansas’s congressional delegation, as well as Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Cornyn and Representative Ralph Hall – whose district includes the Red River and Lone Star Depots, and the Texarkana community to fight to keep the Red River Army Depot open. I have already talked with Congressman Hall and Texarkana community leaders, and have pledged to assist them in any way I can concerning this effort.  In fact, I will be in Texarkana at 1:30 p.m. this Sunday to meet with local officials as we develop a plan to get these military facilities off the list.”

Despite the report’s recommendation today to close the Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant, the state of Arkansas as a whole stands to have a net gain in jobs based on BRAC’s recommendations. 

The three Arkansas lawmakers said that they would pursue all possible options to reverse BRAC’s recommendation to close both Red River Army Depot and the Lone Star Ammunition Plant.  The three vowed to work with the independent BRAC Commission to demonstrate the value of the facilities to our national defense, submit testimony in support of the two facilities throughout the BRAC process, and seek all available alternatives to ensure the long-term sustainability of Red River and Lone Star.